Red Feather
by ceag94075
Summary: Carly has received invites to a wedding from her pen pal, Mirabella. But when "accidents" endanger the town of Corbenic, Jack and Carly are forced to catch the culprit. Their only lead: A beautiful red feather…
1. Chapter 1

*This is my third story! …In progress. You'll be surprised what sort of ideas will pop in your head overtime. I do not own Yugioh 5D's and anything else I'm not allowed to own.

*Anyways, please review this first chapter and give me your feedback on how to make it better. Thank You!

Summary: _Carly just received a letter from her long-time pen pal, Mirabella, that she is getting married in 2 weeks. Mirabella has always valued Carly as her closest friend, mainly because she's the only friend Mirabella has. With her and her fiancée's extended families accounted for, Mirabella sends Carly the only two remaining invitations to the wedding. Excited, Carly coaxes Jack to travel with her to Mirabella's hometown; to the suburban, mountainside town of Corbenic. Famous for its beautiful construction settlement and lush forests, Jack and Carly are easily relaxed by the change of scenery. However, before the two of them even reach the town, the unthinkable happens and their lives are left hanging by a thread. Afterwards, Jack and Carly notice a bizarre string of unexplainable events happening in the quiet paradise. Strange noises and rustling through the woods, construction machines and cars suddenly go on a rogue rampage, and the townsfolk are falling victim to a serious chain of "accidents" all over the mountain. Jack becomes edgy to the brink of paranoia and Carly becomes fearful for everyone's life. When stubborn Mirabella absolutely forbids anyone to skip town or to postpone the wedding, Carly and Jack will have no choice but to find out who's doing this before there are any more casualties. This won't be easy for a teenage couple with no detective training whatsoever, no idea why this is happening, and no possible way to keep out of danger. Their only leads are the broken scenes of the crimes, and a stunning red feather…_

**~Welcome to Corbenic~**

"Ooh, Jackie! Isn't this exciting?"

"Mmm."

Jack and Carly were at the rear seat of a cable car, suspended several hundred feet from the ground. A variety of people near the front were all crammed together, fighting to look through the front window to the ascending mountain. The painfully obvious tourists were flailing against each other in a loud commotion, trying to take in the sights or get a snapshot of the tranquil woods. The more intelligent people were seated near where Jack and Carly was, waiting patiently as the car made its steady climb up to the sky.

Outside the red car, a wooded jungle surrounds the mountain, most of it untouched by man. A chain of waterfalls overlap each other as they tumbled down all sides of the mountain, each one facing a specific direction. Birds and other woodland animals are seen prancing around the thick trees below, and the early afternoon sunlight gave some visibility through the wispy mist left over from the early morning fog. Jack was sitting on a rusty bench, eyes closed and half asleep. Carly was staring at a few pages of paper in her hands, two rectangular and colorful invites and a letter written by hand.

Jack popped one eye lazily open, glanced at the letter, and then to Carly's face. "Carly?" he mumbled.

Carly snapped out of her daze and stared at her blond and bored date. "Yes?"

"Where exactly is this place we're heading to?"

A sweatdrop is visible on Carly's head. "Uh, Jack? Didn't I tell you about it a few hours ago?"

"I wasn't paying attention." Jack stretched and put one arm around Carly's shoulder. "Too busy daydreaming **and** night-dreaming to notice. (YAWN) We're going to a what-now? A birthday?"

Carly rolled her eyes and groaned. "No, Jack! We're going to a wedding! Here!" Carly said as she shoved one of the invitations in his hand, "It says 'You are invited to witness the holy matrimony of Sergio Ferncloud and Mirabella Westar.' There's the time, the date, and everything! Here!" She took Jack's initiation and gave him the letter. "This is the letter she wrote me!"

Jack blinked again and slowly read the scripted handwriting of the mystery bride.

_**Dear Carly,**_

_**It's been, like, so long since we've last seen each other or sent each other pictures or stuff like that. I've received your gift of those awesome books I've been looking for; they are so cool! Those mystery novels were supposed to be sold out in my town for, like, a month and I was getting really tired of looking for each one individually. I was so grateful for you to go to the trouble of sending me the complete series of **_**Little Trouble****, **_**that I didn't know how I could ever repay you! Then, I thought to myself, 'Hey! Why don't I invite Carly to my home and we could, like, catch up and stuff! That would be so cool!' So, I sent you two tickets to my exclusive wedding up here in Corbenic! I sent you an extra ticket to bring a date or a friend or something. Besides, my family and my boo's family took up like 98% of the guest list, already. I so can't wait to see you and your friend in person. I'll be at the Four Falls Resort waiting for you with a yummy penthouse suite ready for you. Can't wait to see ya!**_

_**Love you,**_

_**Mirabella**_

Jack yawns and blinks again. "Mirabella sounds like a real party girl, Carly. How did you two know each other?"

"Mirabella was my assigned pen pal back in the 4th grade." Carly exclaimed, "At first, we didn't exactly have anything in common, but the more we wrote to each other, the more we grew on each other! Mirabella and I have been sending each other letters, present, and secrets for years now. Overtime, we saw each other once or twice when we were younger, but our friendship was based mostly on letters. And we were both comfortable with that. We didn't even bother giving each other phone numbers or stuff like that. I offered to exchange numbers once, but Mirabella wrote that it makes her mom happy to see her writing and practicing her penmanship. She has beautiful handwriting, don't you thing?"

"Wonderful, but tell her that she doesn't have to put the word 'like' after every three words." Jack replied as he flung the paper back to her. Carly looked at the letter happily one last time, then she stuck the letter and the invitations into the brown satchel she was carrying.

Carly scoots closer to Jack, allowing him to hold her tighter. "Can you believe this beautiful moment is really happening, Jackie?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "No, I can't. I also can't believe you made me come with you on a 5 hour flight to some wedding in the backwoods!"

"Jack!"

"WHAT?"

The two began to silently bicker as the cable car edges closer to the loading station on the top of the mountain. Suddenly, there was a violent bump, and the cable car hopped up and down, shaking the startled tourists inside. Jack and Carly were tossed on the floor, like someone just pushed them out of their seats. Carly holds on to her bag, and Jack clutches her waist for dear life. The disturbance stops as suddenly as it came, and half of the passengers were on the floor of the car. The rest were gripping on the car poles or on the edges of the seats for support. Some of the people began to worry, most shouting and swearing.

At the front, a full grown man in a black tuxedo and small hat stands up and steadies himself on his brown, wooden cane. He was a white male with green eyes, chestnut hair, and a curved mustache that concealed his upper lip. "Now, now folks!" He stated in a western tone, "No need to be disgruntle. Bumps like this happen with the cable cars all the time! There is no need to start a-Whoa!"

Another vicious tremor runs through the cable car, knocking the man right of his feet. He fell flat on his face as his cane is knocked out of his hand and tumbles to the back of the car. Jack reaches out a free hand and grabs the cane as it flew through the air. Jack and Carly look up to see the stranger crawl his way to the couple.

"Well, I guess these disturbances are a little abnormal. But, we shouldn't fret and start imagining the worst. Positive thinking, my boy. Trust me." The man smiles as he edges closer to Jack and Carly.

As he reached them, the shakes become even more aggressive and the car is tossed back and forth, slamming the passengers to the sides. Jack drops the cane and huddles Carly closer to him, covering her head with one hand. The gentleman quickly snatches up his cane and grips a metal safety pole for dear life. Even with the violent shudders, the car still claws its way up to the landing dock.

Outside on the landing dock, several bystanders watch helplessly as the cable car shakes uncontrollably. There was no heavy wind or earthquakes happening on their side of the mountain, yet the car is tossed repeatedly to each side. As witnesses call for police, the workers try to stop the cable car from continuing any further. They too want the passengers out of the car, but it could spell disaster for the car to be still moving while the cable is moving.

The workers finally give up, stating how the control's must've been tampered with. As they looked out the window, the car continues to inch closer. It's still a few yards away, and the car seems to be able to hold on long enough to reach the station. Even with the passengers shaking and wobbly inside. The cable car moves close enough for some of the witnesses to see the passengers through the window, until...

BOOM!

A section of the cable suddenly breaks in two, right before the cable car. The section connected to the station snaps back and smashes through the loading dock, crumbling metal and glass. The workers duck as the cable whips through one of the windows, narrowly missing a younger worker. The cable car and remaining line drops like a rock into the woodland below, breaking trees and smashing through branches.

"I think someone was thinking negatively, chief." Jack yelled over the cries and rushing wind. The gentleman rolled his eyes.

Jack, Carly, and the passengers scream and grip to benches and poles, praying for some form of miracle to happen. The car plummets to the ground and slides back down the mountain at top speed. the cable is still attached to the top of the car and is dragged along with the prisoners. Everyone's teeth chatter and bones shiver as the car continues to slide over moss and dirt. The car was heading to a steep, 20-story drop off a cliff and into a solid stone floor that waited for them at the base. The car bounces and chucks as the cliff came closer into view, the grassy plain sliding underneath the car and animals racing to move out of the way. The car closed in on the overhang as the passengers bawled inside.

The cable still attached to the car was caught by the top of a huge and sturdy sycamore tree, jerking the cable effortlessly. The car was yanked from the top roughly into an immediate stop, tipping its nose over the edge of the steep drop. The passengers were shook brutally because of the sudden stop and lack of seat belts, but everyone was able to hang on with tired knuckled and signs of relief. Aside from a few bruises, no one was seriously hurt. Most of the people were even able to stand and help pry open the doors.

Jack and Carly stand up, shaken but unharmed. The gentleman was able to stand as well, brushing off his coat and tidying his collar as if nothing happened.

"Well then," He said nonchalantly. "that was fun! Let's say we get out of here b'fore my positive thoughts turn absolutely evil. What say you, young man? Milady?"

Jack and Carly exchanged glances and stated in unison. "YES!"

Up on top of the mountain, bystanders panic and scamper to their cars, most heading down the mountain to help any survivors. Others were still calling for the police and the hospital, shouting at them for why they're not here now. Amongst the confusion and chaos, everyone fails to notice a dark figure standing on top of the half-demolished loading dock station. Despite the afternoon sun, the outsider appeared to be cloaked in ink-black shadows. The only thing that was visible in his statute was a pair of bloody red eyes.

"No dice." He said in a spine-chilling voice, "There were no casualties this time. Apparently, every person is alive in that car. Damn." He shuffles in one of his pockets and pulls something out quickly. Clutched in his hand, it was difficult to make out exactly what it was. Lifting his arm to the sky, he says to himself, "No matter. I can still...do damage. I can still...be in control. I can still...kill. All I have to do...is be a little... more...creative."

He releases his hand as a single gust of wind picks up. The man seems to slowly evaporate with the wind, but his item was visible and gently fell to the ground as it zipped through the trees, the wind guides the item to the broken car, where the passengers were warily picking themselves up. as he wind snuck by the people overhead, the breeze dies down over the car. Lodged onto one of the wheels of the cable car, able to be seen by anyone who comes across it, was a single red feather.


	2. Chapter 2

**~Rough Start~**

The passengers at the bottom of the slide were already crawling out of the makeshift roller coaster by the time the local authorities arrived. Small children were crying and many of the adults were yelling at the police, demanding answers and explanations. Park rangers, special ambulances, and other off-road vehicles were carefully positioned around the wrecked cable car. The police escorted most of the citizens to a safe route back up the mountain, while the rest were being driven back in the off-terrain ambulances. Other than a few cuts and bruises, no one was seriously hurt.

Jack and Carly were both seated underneath a tree next to a parked police cruiser; they sat close together with a green blanket over their shoulders. Jack had a single strip of white bandage cloth tied around his head, while Carly has only a small band-aid on the back of her right hand. Jack was quietly moaning to himself from the headache he was enduring, and Carly was rubbing the back of Jack's neck gently with one hand. The man in the black tuxedo edges towards them, limping slightly on his cane. As he sat down next to the pair, Jack and Carly could see a bandage cloth around his left ankle.

"Greetings and salutations to you two lovebirds!" smiled the man, "I see that at least somebody here is keeping a leveled head during times of crisis. Good for you, both!"

Carly smiled back. "Thank you, sir. The paramedics said that these were just flesh wounds, even though Jack's head was bleeding. Glad to see that the crash hasn't startled you, either."

"A-HA-HA-HA! My dear, it will take a lot more than a cable car plucked from the air to make me quit! Stiff upper lip, I always say! But where are my manners! Here I am rambling on, and you two probably think I'm a weirdo who's gone off the deep end!"

"Nooo, really?" snickered Jack. Carly jabs him in the ribs and he starts again. "Ow! W-What I mean was, uh, it-it's nice to have a chat with one of the locals to show their hospitality, Mister…"

The gentleman stood up and, removing his hat, took a bow. "Ice. Jonesy Ice. Explorer extraordinaire. I travel around the world for no real purpose but to hunt for adventure! I'm only visiting these mountains because they were in my way. I go wherever the wind takes me. I travel on a quest where the fruits of my labor are ones that I must find without my knowledge."

Jack, his migraine waning, stands up and wraps Carly with the rest of the blanket. "It's nice to meet you, Jonesy. I'm Jack Atlas, and she's Carly Carmine. We're foreigners as well, but our reason for coming to an accident-prone mountain isn't quite as exciting as yours, sadly."

"Jack!" Carly whines, and then shakes Jonesy's outstretched hand. "Sorry, he's always been this crabby. Any who, even though you're a traveler, maybe you can help us find someone. We're here visiting an old friend of mine for her wedding. Her name's Mirabella Westar and we're to be her bridesmaid and her fiancée's groomsman."

Jonesy scratched his shaven chin and pondered for a second. "Mirabella. Mir-a-bell-a. Hmm, may I ask if she is in the higher class, financially speaking?"

"Ehh…yeah, I-I think so."

Jonesy laughs and points up the road. "Well, that must be her ride coming this way!"

Jack and Carly look up past the ambulance and spot a pretty, cherry-red jeep trotting down the path. Spectators and police officers made way for the off-road vehicle tumbling gently towards them, stopping next to the three onlookers. Paparazzi shot out of the bushes and anchor people appear out of nowhere with cameras and microphones, taking pictures and performing "breaking news" for the cameras. As the jeep slides to a halt, the passenger door opens up and a young woman steps out. She had fair skin, dark-blue eyes, and beautiful black hair that curled all the way to the ground. Her red summer dress swished in the wind as she walked towards the three with her ruby-colored heels.

Jack shivered back, eyeing her suspiciously. _Oh, HECK NO..._

The young girl bounced along the steep, rocky path as effortlessly as if she was gliding over the uneven stones. Her flawless skin glistened elegantly against the flashes of the cameras, and her smile gently showed her pure white teeth. She bounced over to the trio, unaffected by the bright flashes of the high powered cameras and buzzing crowd around her. The woman leaped up gracefully and gently hugged Carly, Jack, and Mr. Ice in one swoop. The paparazzi took pictures of every nanosecond.

"Carly!" cried the woman in a teenage cheerleader-type tone. "I. Am. Trilled that you are sooo here! Oh my gosh, I saw what happened on that cable car from my house! I mean, like, wow! I was like, some cable car driver turn homicide! What happened? I heard a huge snap and like, wow! I know, right!"

Carly was the only one grinning and nodding her head in agreement; Jack and Jonesy stared at her like she grew a second head. A slow "What?" was all Jack could say. The woman glanced over Carly's shoulder and saw Jonesy and Jack, staring at her in bewilderment.

"Oh! Hello! Sorry I didn't say my name to you guys or anything like that, tee-hee! You all probably think like 'who is this chick?' and 'should we know her?' or something like that! Am I right?"

Jack blinked slowly. "Well, actually…"

"Jack!"

"What? Look love, she asked a question, and I was just gonna answer her. Simple as that!"

The girl giggled once again. "It's alright, Carly! No harm done! Any who, I'm Mirabella and it's a pleasure to meet you both!" Carly rolls her eyes to the wreckage, where something glittering on the cable car catches her eye.

Jack shrugged. "Nice to finally meet you too, Ms. Westar. I'm Jack Atlas and the 'chap' over here is Jonesy Ice. I'm Carly's date for the ceremony and Ice is…well…uh…he was just along for the ride."

Jonesy gave Jack a quick glance before curtseying to Mirabella. "It's an honor to make your acquaintance, milady."

Mirabella flipped her hair a little, as some form of complement. "Oh, no! The pleasure is all mine! But, whatever! So, how 'bout we head up to the manor before one of you guys go, like, blind or something from the cameras. It happened before, tee-hee!" She turns her head sharply as if looking for something. "Uh, where's Carly? She was just here."

After a quick scan behind them, Jonesy points out Carly bent over on a wheel of the broken cable car. Carly was tip-toeing on one leg, balancing herself on her arm, and stretched her other arm as far as she could into the cave-like hole of twisted debris. The fire fighters and police officers were all either busy or facing the other direction, oblivious to the girl playing in the car. She was reaching in between the shredded metal and broken glass for something…

Jack was already over there tugging on her waist in less than a heartbeat. "Carly! What are you doing! The fire department said not to go over here! It's dangerous!" he hissed.

She turns around like she never heard his warning. "Oh, Jack! Great timing! Think you could give me a boost? There's something in there I want, but I can't reach it."

Hoping it would mean that she got away from the wreckage faster, Jack obediently lifted Carly by the waist over the cable's wheels and further into the ruined opening. Jack pulled back quickly after Carly gently plucked a small item sticking out of a pile of steel. Jack was about to protest when he saw what Carly was so interested in.

"Mm, pretty." Jack states. "But it was still foolish to stick your hand in that hole, let alone your entire body!"

Carly only smiled and let the object lay in the palm of her hand. By this time, Mirabella and Jonesy has strolled over to see what Jack was fussing Carly about. Mirabella was standing tip-toed in her platform shoes and Jonesy scratched his head with the cane's handle in confusion. They craned their necks over her shoulders to see the small glimmering object in Carly's palm. It was a feather; a primary plume that was as long as Carly's extended fingers and as red as fresh blood. It had a ball of down that was small, fluffy, and perfectly round at the end. The downy ball separated the main vane of the feather from its ivory-colored, needle-sharp shaft. The quill-like feather had an uncanny shine and shimmered beautifully in the afternoon sun.

"I know it was reckless of me to reach for it," Carly started, "but look how magnificent it is! I've never seen a feather so red and pretty, Jack. I spotted it sticking straight up on one of the busted wheels inside the car. It was kinda strange."

"Strange that you would find a simple, yet unusual looking, feather in the middle of the forest on a mountain?" smirked Jonesy.

"No. Well, yes, but it felt…strange. Like someone intentionally left this feather in the cable car like that. Doesn't it strike you guys as a little…creepy?"

Jack rolled his eyes at his farfetched girlfriend. "Yeah right, love. Who would want to leave a feather at the scene of a horrific accident? It probably just fluttered there from the breeze or something."

"Jack!"

"What!"

Mirabella yawned as if she was absolutely bored, and she was. "Okay, okay! Cute feather, car wreck, whatever! Can we all please go back to something that is much more important, like me? C'mon Carly, let's head back to the house! I've got your suite all ready for you and Jackie! C'mon-c'mon-c'mon, let's go!" she screamed while yanking on Carly's arm.

"Wha-? Oh, o-okay. Mr. Ice, would you like to come with us? There's plenty of room at Mirabella's home. Besides, you'll probably need a place to rest after everything that's happened." Carly said while Mirabella literally dragged her across the clearing to her car.

Jonesy, walking beside Jack as they both snickered at Carly's misfortune smiled and accepted her offer. "I don't mean to intrude, although the most complicated part about being an expert adventurer is to find an adequate dwelling to rest and rejuvenate oneself."

Jack scratched his head over what Jonesy just said. "Jonesy, I couldn't understand nine of those words."

"It's hard to find a hotel with good service."

"You could've just said that, fancy boy…"


	3. Chapter 3

**~One Prince, Two Princesses~**

Carly, Jack, Jonesy, and Mirabella were all traveling effortlessly up the mountainside. Mirabella's jeep practically glided over the loose rocks and gravel on the natural roads. Mirabella drove through the hilly terrain with Carly riding shotgun, while Jonesy and Jack sat comfortably in the back seats. The jeep was unnecessarily big and comfy; the seats were made out of red leather and a built-in snack compartment full of shiny ice, fancy juices, and delicious treats was open in between Jonesy and Jack. Jack was helping himself to the exotic fruits, meats, cheeses, and desserts, and Jonesy was washing down glass after glass of white grape wine. Carly was getting easily annoyed.

"Boys!" Carly shouted at them over her shoulder. "I know you both must be hungry after everything we went through, but must you really empty out Mirabella's cooler! The least you could do is say thank you!"

"(Chomp Chomp) Mm…hm? Oh! (Gulp) Thanks, Mirabella. Oh, this is great! I haven't had food like this in ages!" Jack muttered and continued to snack down on candied apple slices.

Jonesy has just polished off his third glass of wine. "(Gulp Gulp) Ahh! Exquisite texture! Appreciate it, Madame Mirabella. Jack, be a lad and pass the wine in the green bottle. Thanks."

Carly just rolled her eyed and stared out the window.

"Chill out, cuz." Mirabella said, "Let them take it. That stuff needed to be put away before it expired, anyways. But enough about the deep, mysterious world of a male's stomach. How're things back at the home front?"

Carly just shrugged and smiled. "Oh, nothing new. I'm still an underpaid journalism intern, and you're just a multi-billionaire who's about to be married in one of the most beautiful places I've seen. Thanks again for inviting us here. I can't wait to meet the lucky man. Is he cute?"

"Yeah, he's cute. A little socially cold, but…"

"Socially cold? What do you mean?"

"Eh, you'll see when we get inside."

As she said this, Mirabella's jeep climbs up a steep path through an open metal gate. The bars move aside effortlessly as her jeep passes through without stopping. The jeep climbs up some more to a surprisingly flat clearing, which is followed up by a red brick mansion at the edge of a dark forest. Standing eight stories tall and twenty windows wide, the unique home has to curve itself into a horseshoe shape just to fit on the tiny peak. Carly lit up at the sight of the beautiful gold-rimmed windows and the magnificent flowerbed islands in the driveway. Jack and Jonesy stopped eating long enough to glance at the circular building before chomping down the rest of the food. The manor was the only house on top of the small mountain, overlooking the town below in the front and the shady woods in the back. Mirabella pulled up underneath the stone canopy, where four servants bowed and open all the car doors for everyone. Mirabella tossed the keys to one of the workers and walks casually to the front door. Carly thanks a man who took her hand to help her sown and scurries after Mirabella. Jonesy tips his hat to an employee and continues to the door, with Jack moving close behind. Jack took up the last wedge of cheese he could find in the cooler and walked to the front as he bit off huge bites of the large cheese. Two more servants opened the double doors for everyone, and they were astounded with what they saw.

The room was a huge hall with a large crystal table in the middle of the room, two staircases in the back, wall-to-wall beige carpet, brilliant chandeliers hanging side by side on the ceiling, and vase after vase of beautiful flowers. Everyone was astounded with what they saw, and stopped to take it all in. (Except for Mirabella because, you know, she lives here!) Everyone followed Mirabella to the end of the hall and up the staircases. Jack was still nibbling away at the cheese.

At the top of the staircase, they entered a long room with a table of food set up and ready. The plates, knives, forks, and spoons were all made of crystal-like glass, the white tablecloth extended onto the floor, and the entrées and delicacies were all crowded together on the table. Some of the dishes were on broiling skillets, still cooking the food as it sat on the dining table.

"Please have a seat, everyone!" Mirabella shouted cheerfully.

Everyone took a seat around the counter, eyeing the food carefully. Jack and Carly sat next to each other on one side of the table, and Jonesy placed himself on the opposite end. Mirabella placed herself at the very end of the table, overlooking her guests like a princess. Then, she clapped her hands three times and the servants began to move. Some were picking up the platters of food, and others were placing smaller dishes in front of everyone. The remaining two were standing heads down next to Mirabella, as if waiting for something.

"One of you drags my sister out of her room, and the other fetches my future husband. Let them know that we have important guests."

Both men bowed and left without a word.

Before they knew it, a small orchestra of servants was seated next to the window behind Jonesy, playing classical music in a rehearsed manner. Jonesy, Carly, and Jack were astounded with how fast the workers are. There was nothing left on the table but separate vases of flowers, assorted breadsticks, and bowels of dark cream chunky soup in front of everyone. Mirabella eagerly dipped her breadstick in the food after every bite, but the others just stared blankly at it.

Mirabella smiled at everyone and giggled. "Don't be shy, guys. This gumbo not gonna bite! It's Julienne soup, made out of the finest stock and veggies from our private greenhouses."

"You mean like vegetable soup?" Carly asked as she scooped up a spoonful and took a bite. "Mmm, this is so delicious! What do you think, boys?"

Jonesy and Jack were already half done with their broth when Carly asked. "It's very delicious indeed, Carly!" Jonesy stated, "The turnip slices and celery bits are crunchy and ripe. Also, the liquid contains the right amount of seasoning and herbs. 5 stars at best!"

"That soup is only 3 stars, very mediocre. That second-rate paste is not my favorite dish."

Everyone was shocked to see a man suddenly appear next to Mirabella. A young gentleman no taller than Jonesy, his arctic white hair reached freely past his shoulders, matching his pale skin and cream-colored trouser suit. Little expression showed in his thin lips or onyx black eyes.

"Oh! There you are, sweetie!" Mirabella said, "Darling, this is my pen pal, Carly. She's the one I've been telling you about. Next to Carly is her date, Jack, and Jonesy over there is their…um…friend, right?"

Jack, finished with his bowl and continued to eat his cheese, shrugged. "I think. We met him in, out, over, under, and around the demolition site that was once a cable car. So yeah, he's our friend. Welcome to the family, Jones! Good luck!"

"Jack!" Carly glared.

"What?"

Mirabella and the white-haired man looked at Jonesy. "Is this true?"

He just stared back at Mirabella and shrugged.

"Close enough. Everyone, this is my fiancé, Sergio Frencloud. Sweetheart, be a dear and greet our guests!"

Sergio quickly scanned the audience before motioning to the vacant seat next to Jonesy. The tone in his voice when he spoke was almost as emotionless as his eyes, almost. "It's a pleasure to meet everyone. I trust the 'demolition site' experience wasn't too much for you."

Jonesy wiped off his mustache with a linen napkin and laughed. "No, no, not at all! Actually, the near-death experience was quite exhilarating. To a primitive form, anyways."

Sergio gave a tiny smile to him. "I'm glad to see that Mirabella has brought some…interesting friend. It's not every day that you meet a person who is willing to stare at death right in the face and laugh at him, especially three completely different people." Carly giggled at the comment, while Jack just muttered something and snapped up his last bite of cheese.

Sergio eyed him amusingly. "Good?"

Jack grinned and took his sweet time chewing the last piece. "Delicious."

Carly rolled her eyes. "You are so random, Jack."

"It's alright, Ms. Carmine. We are more than happy to share our special brand of pule cheese with our visitors. Our home is your home. Isn't that right, my sweet?"

Mirabella blushed. "Yeah! You bet! Would you like any more, Jack."

"Hm?" Jack muffled, "Yes, please. This, uh, _pulled_ cheese is really nice. Creamy, tangy, and a lit'l sharp. It's very good!"

Sergio nodded. "At once, Mr. Atlas. But, you misheard me earlier. I said pule cheese, not pulled."

Jack blinked at him questionably. "Huh? Pu-le cheese? What's that?"

"It's a special cheese made from moist, smoked, and cured donkey's milk."

"WHAT?Oh, yuck!"

"Sister!" Mirabella interrupted.

Everyone turns to see the panting young maiden Mirabella called out, bent over and standing in the doorway. The girl appeared to have run all the way to the dining room nonstop. She was wearing a ruby red dress that curved smoothly around her body and stretched to the floor, a small bronze jacket seated on her shoulders. As she straightened herself to her full height, her chocolate auburn hair swished gracefully with her head. It grew neatly down her back and ended in gentle curves at the ends, seemingly moving with a life of its own. Her fair skin and rosy cheeks brought color to her features nicely, but it was her crimson red eyes that illuminated her face to perfection.

"Mirabella, please forgive me for the delay." she said in a beautiful, honey-dipped voice. "I was so caught up in the biology studies that my tutor left me that I couldn't pull away. The arrangement and function of the new stem cells we created together was amazing. Their rapid growth is proof that-?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Mirabella shouted while waving a hand. "You can lecture us about cells or blood or something later. Right now, we have people over! Jack, Carly, and Jonesy. This is my older sister, Stellaluna."

Jack and Jonesy just stared, while Carly stood up and smiled. "Hello, Stellaluna! It's awesome to finally meet you! Jack, Jonesy, say hi!"

Jack: "…'ello."

Jonesy: "…hi-hi-hi-hiya."

Carly groaned, Mirabella giggled, and Sergio smirked to himself. (That's all I can say…)

Stellaluna walked cautiously to the seat next to Jack, a servant pulling her chair for her as she sat down. After she smiles to Jack and Carly, Stellaluna starts to quietly eat her soup. Suddenly, Jack's stomach began to growl unnaturally. He felt dizzy, hot, bloated, and a little nauseous. Actually, he felt very nauseous. Jack was gagging in his mouth, and he felt like he was going to throw up.

"Jack, are you ok?" Carly asks with a concerned look, "You look a little green. Actually, you look very green."

Stellaluna stops eating and holds on to Jack's shoulder. "Oh, my! He appears to be suffering from some form of food poisoning! That's possible, but he shows all the signs of motion sickness. What did he eat?"

"Everything!" Jonesy snickers at Jack's dilemma. "Ha-ha! Poor boy might've bitten off more than he can chew, literally. Probably a bad time to say that Jack wolfed down every morsel of food in the car's freezer alone, and I'm pretty sure he picked off a few more delicacies from the buffet before the table was cleaned up. The stomach can only hold so much nourishment, Atlas."

"Now you tell me?" Jack said before his shoulders lurched from another gagged reflex.

"Jack, there's a bathroom directly across from here." Mirabella states as Jack leaps from his seat and runs out the room. "Just go out the hall and run straight!"

Jack dashes out the dining room at top speed and into a lavish bathroom before anyone could blink. Everyone quietly continue their dinner while Jack choked over an open toilet; Mirabella tried to re-start a conversation with Carly and Jonesy.

In the restroom, Jack didn't upchuck anything while his head was hanging over the toilet, but he did spot a convenient bottle of antacids sitting on the sink top. He took a few pills (Don't worry, he followed the instructions!) and washed it down with a few drops of sink water. After splashing his face with water, his stomach stopped rumbling and his nausea disappeared. He took several breaths and wiped off his face before exiting the bathroom.

As he walked slowly back to the dining room, Jack's fever went down and he wasn't dizzy anymore. "Finally! My stomach has n'ever felt so terrible. I hope those antacid pills will keep my head on straight for the rest of the night!"

Suddenly, a deep rumble was heard from "Jack".

Jack stopped and clutched his abdomen. "Oh, come on! Don't tell me that those pills didn't do squat to-? Wait. That wasn't my stomach…Was it?"

A second quaver jittered from the floor, louder and more precise.

"Nope! Definitely not me! But I'm starting to wish it was…"

A third tremor came from the ground, this one even louder than the first two. Jack's feet tangled from underneath him and he fell to the floor. In the dining hall, the chandeliers above them rattle and chime. Everyone is startled and stares at the ceiling, hoping that the house does not cave in or something. From a back entrance, servants rush in and take Mirabella, Stellaluna, and the guests by the arms. One of the servants, a white haired elder, orders the others for various jobs before coming to the five teenagers.

"My apologies Madame Mirabella, Madame Stellaluna." said the elder. "But it is the utmost importance that we escort everyone out to the bunkers safely. If you would all pleased follow us."

"Wait!" shouted Jonesy. "What about Atlas?"

"We will find him! Now, go and hurry!"

Everybody ran to the back rooms and the doors shut automatically. They took a spiral staircase down to an underground cellar to the bunkers. Mirabella and the rest were in such a panic, that no one noticed when Sergio leisurely moved to the back of the line and stopped at the middle of the stairs. He waited until he was sure the others haven't realized his disappearance, and then he turns around and bolts straight back up the stairs. The tremors slows him down, but he pushes on without hesitation. As for Jack, he was still clutching the ground for dear life. His teeth chattered as he struggled to his feet, walking across the unstable platform one foot at a time. He caught himself on the closed dining doors as the vibrations finally subsided. Jack gingerly gets to his feet and walks on jelly-like legs.

Jack steadies himself and scans the area carefully. Rubble and rocks from the ceiling litters the floor, and several expensive looking vases and furniture has tipped over. The room was dark and ominous looking because the earthquake has knocked out all of the light bulbs and power. Jack tried the door, but it was jammed due to the crushed walls. Most of the foundation of the castle has been severely damaged because of the earthquakes. Jack could hear cracks spreading through the walls and platforms, as if the entire castle was slowly collapsing.

"This place sure took a royal beating." Jack chuckled to himself as he kicked a stone. "How come Carly didn't tell me this place was the middle of an earthquake zone."

There was a deafening explosion, and the earthquakes started up again. Jack kneeled down and covered his ears because of the piercing noise. The manor sounded like a train was rushing through or something close to it…

The double-stairway detonated next to Jack, smoke and debris pounding on him like raining nails. Blinking away the dust, Jack look up at a monster with bright yellow eyes; the monstrosity was staring down at him from above, jaws full of teeth wide open. It blare a mighty growl at Jack and moved slowly towards him. Still partially blind, Jack tumbled helplessly back as the monster stopped in front of him, edging its dirty jaws closer. Jack wipes his eyes again, and quickly recognized the so-called "monster". It was actually an excavator, a yellow construction digger/demolition machine. The jaws were actually the mechanical teeth and buckets used for lifting trees and heavy rocks, and the horn only sounded like a roar because of the ringing in Jack's ears. It moved effortlessly over the aftermath of its destruction because of its reinforced wheel.

Now mad, Jack stood up proudly and stared at the machine right in the glaring lights. "Hey! What the #%!* is wrong with you? There are people here! Go destroy a building somewhere else! I mean who are you, anyways? Come out here and face me like a man!"

Jack moves through the wreckage to stare at the driver of this insane machine. He plans to beat the little turd's face in for causing so much trouble, maybe drag him to get a lashing from Mirabella's bodyguards. But when he reached the cockpit to put in his "complaint", he realized there were two things wrong with his problem. One, he probably wouldn't be any match for a hefty construction worker, but it didn't matter. Because, two, there was no one in the cockpit.

The digger suddenly came to life and thrashed as uncontrollably as a wild bull; Jack was tossed into the rubbish below, and the metal arm swing violently around. Its jaws tear apart any wall that stood in its path, then it clenches it jaws and smashes them into the platform, repeatedly pounding holes into the ground. The manor shook badly once again, the machine being the source of the massive earthquakes. Jack struggles out of the wreckage and to safety, but finds his leg pinned under a wooden pillar. The digger ceases its quake-making rampage, and turns back to Atlas. The machine glares at Jack with high-beams, forcing him to close his eyes because of the blinding light. The digger opens its dirty jaws wide at Jack, and comes down on him unnaturally fast.

Jack could do nothing but close his eyes, and pray for a miracle.


	4. Chapter 4

**~By the Skin of My Teeth~**

If Jack really was praying for a miracle, it surly wouldn't be the form of something small and heavy slamming into him from the side. Nor would he want his savior to hit him so hard, it painfully yanked his leg out from under the pillar and into a pile of rubble. As he hit the ground (HARD), the digger's teeth chomped down on Jack's old resting place. Broken glass and splinters shattered and flew through the air faster than mosquitoes in the summer. Once the smoke cleared, the machine found itself in a hole its fangs couldn't get out of. Gears grind and whirred as the monster struggled in vain to retract its arm, which is half buried underneath stone and wood. Jack coughed away dust that filled his lungs, half yelling because his leg was searing with pain. Once his eyes stopped watering, he looks down to see his hero; his savior was weak from the crash and barely able to lift himself up.

"Ferncloud!" Jack said, "Where the deuce did you come from?"

"My mother," Ferncloud snapped back, "and I suspected you were in trouble from…something. By the way, call me Sergio. I know now is not the appropriate time for pleasantries, but Ferncloud is reserved as my father's title."

Jack struggles to lift himself from the rubble, even with Sergio's help. "Thanks for the save, mate. But was it really necessary to bash into me at full speed? I think you dislocated my ankle."

"Sorry, Jack. The next time a giant, monstrous land-destroyer comes tumbling towards you, I'll know better to just leave you there to die."

There was a loud boom and a crash, followed by another pillar of smoke. The excavator has freed itself from its hole and was inching towards them, jaws extended and ready for bone-crunching action. Jack and Sergio scrambled to their feet and hopped along the tangled wood to the front door, the terminator digger nipping at their heels. Jack didn't notice it because his leg was numb, but there was a red needle-sharp object stuck beneath his pants' leg.

The front door was already destroyed from the outside, revealing how a construction machine wound up in the middle of someone's house. Jack followed Sergio as he darted out of the mansion to the open garages at the other end of the road. Ducking into one of them, they ran into the doorway and down into an underground storage room. It was surprisingly empty; Jack expected the garage to be filled with expensive foreign vehicles from wall to wall, but there were only a few cars parked and scattered all around the garage. The digger's rumbling was shaking the foundation, and is causing the ceiling to crumble.

The digger bashes through the garage, demolishing the garage and boring a path for itself through the ceiling. The digger blares its unholy horn again, extending its jaws as if it was actually roaring. The smoke clears and the tremors stop, but the digger found itself alone in the garage. The excavator cranes its floodlights around, but he could not find them anywhere. It knew it didn't crush them (yet), and they were too fast to be caught in the rubble. Still scanning the environment, the digger moved slowly deeper into the garage. Its four high powered floodlights illuminated most of the underground room, casting long shadows that avoided its intense beams. It wasn't until the excavator rolled past the middle of the garage that a car's ignition was starting. A dark blue land rover parked near the entry roared to life, with two people shuffling inside. The car's lights cut through the shallow darkness, and tires screamed against the gravel floor. The excavator spins around to see nothing but red headlights and the rear end of a car driving up the damaged ramp.

Jack was driving at the front wheel, slamming the gas pedal as hard as it can go. Sergio was clinging to his seat belt and the arm rest for dear life, shaking slightly. The rover made a hard right and sped downhill, the excavator trailing close behind. Jack drove the car almost perfectly on the rocky terrain, with the help of Sergio's guidance along the correct paths to take.

Sergio bounced in the passenger seat like an oversized jumping bean, blurting out directions through his jittering teeth. They were heading to a dirt path that was divided in three routes. "I'm going to go down the middle one and see if I can outrun that thing!" Jack shouted as he slammed his foot onto the gas.

Sergio sat up wide-eyed and frantic. "No, Jack! L-l-l-left! The middle one will kill us! Take the left one! PLEASE!"

"Okay, okay! Sorry!" Jack said as he turned the wheel sharply, narrowly missing his turn. The rover skidded over the rocks and debris as it hopped over the divided road. The rover swerves out of the way again, just as the digger swung its mighty arm at them. They were coming to another fork in the road that split in opposite directions.

"Right! Ri-i-i-ght!"

The rover makes a hard left so tight that it left the excavator skidding into the dense trees, disappearing with a crash and a violent thud. The road smoothed out a little and the rover speed up with the better traction. Sergio rolls down the window and looks back, scanning the area for their attacker. Even through the rigorous bumping and loud engine, Sergio notices a path of trees rustling towards them.

Jack is surprised to see Sergio sticking half his body out like a dog. "Stick your &$%*^ head back in here!" Sergio obeys quickly and rolls back up the window. "We're going over 80 mph on a rocky terrain, and I don't want to be the one to explain to Mirabella that her fiancée died because a tree or a rock or something hit him in the back and took his head off!"

Sergio just sits back and rolls his eyes. "Sorry 'mom' but I was just making sure that our mechanical nightmare wasn't around to bother us anymore."

"Fine….Is he gone?"

"No."

As if on a rehearsed cue, the digger explodes from the trees next to the road and hops down on the path. The ground beneath their feet shook as the monstrosity landed, recollecting its traction and continued the chase after them.

Jack saw the digger from his rear view mirror, and pushed the car even further ahead. "Damn! He's still behind us! I still can't believe that something so big can be so quick!"

Sergio grumbled sickly. "I still can't believe that you swiped my car keys before we even left the house! When did you do it, again?"

"While you were helping me up, part of your keys were sticking out of your shirt pocket. I thought you were going to drop them, so I just stuck out my finger a lit'l and grabbed them by the loop." Sergio bounced in his chair again, cupping his mouth and turning bright green. "You look ill, man. A little too much excitement for you, mate?" Jack swerves on the road to confuse the digger, and narrowly misses being hit by its jaws. Sergio is trying his best to not upchuck in his posh land rover. "Anyways, you should be thanking me! I'm a more experienced driver than you, working with high-speed motorcycles and everything! As a matter of fact, thanks to my expert steering, we're still alive."

"And thanks to my knowledge of the mountain's terrain, we didn't drop off a cliff by now! Do you even know what was at the end of that 'road' you tried to go down on back there, Jack? A hundred foot drop into a lake, the size of a small country!"

"I said I was sorry! Oh, and one more thing. What in blazes are we going to do 'bout him?" Jack swerves again, and the digger bites down on empty air where the rover once was. The boys couldn't tell from the car, but Jack's driving was making the excavator very, very angry.

"Okay, here's the plan. Take this dirt path down to the edge, and I'll tell you when to stop. Then, let the digger come very close to us. When I say go, dart around him and leave him sliding to his doom."

"What are we gonna leave this thing sliding into?"

"We're going to lead Mr. Bucket-o-bolts here to a trap I just thought of."

"You built a trap for a truck?"

"Excavator."

"WHATEVER!"

Making another sharp turn, Jack pushed the car onto the neighboring dirt path that ran straight into the thick mountain brush. The path has long since been used and wild vegetation and trees branched out onto it. After Jack complains that he will probably smash into a tree because of the leaves, the digger struggles to take another swing at them. Even though the arm broke the troublesome branches and thick vines, its sheer size made it a challenge to move properly, let alone reach the boys. The car hustled past the woods and into a clearing, the digger struggles to keep up. Sergio and Jack cross over small rivers and trenches, cutting through the woods at top speed. The digger trashes every single bush, tree, and vine that tries to slow it down; Jack was really hoping for a massive boulder any second.

"Okay! Stop!"

Jack slams on the brakes gear-breaking hard; the car began to skid dangerously through the woods because of the dramatic shift in gears. Still sliding on the loose gravel, the car crashes through a clearing and onto an unfinished asphalt road. The tough wheels finally catch the hard stone, jerking the jeep into a rough stop right next to a large boulder. The minor whiplash that almost took out their necks left the boys both dazed and vulnerable. The boys were stunned in a jeep that was facing the direction their 'friend' was coming from. The excavator rampages forward at full speed, leaving behind trampled trees and broken rocks behind it. Sergio quickly comes to, and violently shakes Jack awake. The digger's floodlights blare through the shady trees, growing brighter as the mechanized monstrosity charges at full speed. Jack eyes Sergio warily; Sergio motions for him to wait until he gives the signal for Jack to go. The excavator is visible through the thin trees, as its crushing jaws break away the last pieces of the forest.

Jack eyed Sergio again clutching the wheel until his knuckles turned white. "Mate?"

"Not yet." Sergio whispered.

The excavator's thunderous tires break down more trees.

"Sergio?"

"Hold your position, soldier."

The excavator's horns blare again.

Jack was shaking now. "Uhh…"

"Wait for it…"

The digger opens its jaws, storming to the boys; all they could see was the inside of two toothy buckets.

"I'M TOO PRETTY TO DIE, MAN!"

"THEN GO! NOW!"

Jack slams down on the gas and cuts the wheel to a point where the tires almost lock up. The jeep zips a half circle around the monster, braking directly behind it. The last thing the excavator saw was a path of dust and the wide open forest right off the cliff. Realizing what has just happened, the digger spins its jaws at a boulder precariously perched next to the launching spot. Grabbing the boulder from underneath with its steel lips, the digger makes one last stitch effort after another to pull itself up. It was able to swing the lower half of its body to the rocky surface, plated wheels screeching against the loose soil.

Jack shuts off the jeep and leaps out, with Sergio calmly trotting next to him. Sergio had a devilish smirk on his face, while Jack was scared, wide-eyed, and panicky.

"Great plan, Sergio!" Jack hissed. "Thanks to you, Mr. Goodwrench down there is going to be even more pissed than ever! Once he pulls himself up, we won't have any time to make a beeline for it! If push comes to shove, I'm running with or without you!"

Sergio rolled his eyes nonchalantly. "Jack, my overly unconventional friend-"

"Overly-who?"

"-you seem to doubt my vast knowledge of this harsh, treacherous terrain that I call my wonderful home. I assure you, we will have nothing to worry about soon enough."

"…What?"

As if on cue, the rocky cliff underneath the boulder suddenly gave way and the excavator tips backwards. With its "hands" full of the sturdy rock, the digger had no way to prepare for the lethal drop or save itself for a second time. The boulder, as well as a handsome portion of the overhang, breaks away and the digger disappears for the last time. Jack and Sergio cautiously lean over the broken cliff to make out the falling digger; the excavator tumbles down the side of the stony crag, bringing a rock slide down along with it. Earthquake-like tremors are herd, followed by a faint explosion at the very bottom. Moments pass by, and a thick smog of smoke and flames mushroom up the cavern.

"There, you see?" Sergio confirmed with a smirk. "Our problem is solved. They say it is wise to take the path less traveled, and lucky for us this path leads us to one of the many edges of my mountain. There is no possible way for an excavator that size and magnitude to survive such a devastating plummet, let alone any man that was foolish enough to dare try and assassinate us. If there is any body left after the fire dies down, I'm sure the authorities could I.D. our homicidal lunatic and find out who hired him in the first place. It's as simple as that."

Jack stared at Sergio for a full minute before saying anything. "Okay…One, I have no idea what you just said, 'cept for the man in the machine part. Two, I had to admit that it was a very sneaky idea, and it worked! And three, this is probably a lit'l late, but you should know that there was no driver in the digger's cockpit. Just sayin'."

Sergio shivered with utter astonishment. "No driver? NO DRIVER? Than how in the blazes did-?"

"Jack! Sergie!"

Sergio and Jack turn around to see their comrades running down to them, as well as half of Corbenic's police squad. Mirabella and Carly run up to embrace their men, while Jonesy and Stellaluna pick their way over the rock face. Stellaluna steadies herself on Jonesy's arm as they peered over the cliff, staring down the hole where the pillar of smoke arose from. The police surround the area; they used the radio for backup and medical attention. A few bystanders and random witnesses are seen along the top of one of the smaller cliffs, flashing with their cameras and recording on their video phones.

"Sergio, what happened?" Screeched Mirabella, "The guards rushed us to the emergency storm cellar while the earthquakes went on, and we just noticed you were gone! When ya' didn't pick up your phone, I feared the worst, sugar! I thought we would find you and Carly's man lying dead in some pit or something! We weren't allowed to leave until the earthquakes stopped shaking us around, **and** we had to pick our way out of a now destroyed mansion! I mean that place was in horrible shape! We all jumped into my limo, have you noticed that the garage is totally wrecked?, and that's when we saw your car racing down the mountainside with **something** following you! How did you…"

Sergio placed three fingers on Mirabella's lips, much to everyone's relief. "Don't worry about me, my dear. I simply fell back and regrouped with Jack to make sure he wasn't lying dead in a pit, and the digger didn't crush him like a peanut underneath a shoe. It is as simple as that."

Jack and Carly was embracing each other sweetly, and then Carly took his head in her hands. "Jack, listen carefully. Back at the house, sticking out from a piece of wood, I found another-?" Carly let go of Jack's head and stared at Sergio. "Digger? What digger?"

"I'll tell you all about it later, love." Jack said with a smile. "But first, I think I twisted something in my leg, it-it won't stop stinging me!"

Carly kneels down and her heart skips a beat; she sees red inside his boot and fears his leg may have been pierced by a piece of glass. Carly slowly tugs his boot and notices that the red was not blood, but a feather. The main feather stuck out of Jack's skin and danced gracefully in the light wind, while the needle-sharp shaft dug underneath Jack's flesh.

"Jack, hold still."

Jack blinked at her. "Okay, but why-YOWCH! What the deuce, woman?"

Carly has effortlessly removes the feather from Jack's leg, but now there was real blood oozing from the small hole in his calf. Jack takes a cloth to put pressure on it, while Carly inspects the first uncanny feather, and then she reaches into her bag and slowly pulls out two more feathers. All three cherry-red quills looked exactly the same. By this time, Jack, Sergio, Stellaluna, Mirabella, and Jonesy have all gathered around to see the plume trio.

"Ain't that the feather that you found at the crashed cable car?" Jack said.

"Yes, it is! But wherever did you find the other two?" Jonesy agreed.

"The first one was from the cable car, the second one I found in the wrecked mansion, and the third one was stuck in Jack's boot." Carly stated.

"They're beautiful…" Stellaluna exclaimed

"I have to admit, those are the most elegant bird feathers I have ever seen." Sergio declared. "Wait! They belong to a bird, right?

"What kind of bird makes those feathers? The only red bird I've seen on this mountain is a cardinal, and these feathers are way too big for that!" Mirabella shouted.

Carly tucked away all three feathers cautiously in her bag, taking extreme care to make sure they weren't bent or crooked. "It doesn't matter what bird they came from for now, what is important is the fact that each feather is found at the scene of a crime, or accident, or attempted homicide, or something like that. Don't you guys find it downright strange?"

Jack rolled his eyes and started up the hill. "No offense, love, but you find everything suspicious. You are a reported after all."

"I'm serious! This is big! Another scoop! And these feathers are the clue! Jack? JACK!"

"Stop calling my name like that!"

Everyone just rolled their eyes and followed Jack and Carly back up the hill; they were making their way to Mirabella's still-running limousine. As the others followed the noisy couple into the vehicle, a large and yellow taxi cab overlooks the crash site on a small highland; two figures were seen sitting inside. One was spying on his prey through a pair of high powered binoculars, while the other just sat there quietly. A dark-skinned man, possibly in his late teens, with dark maroon hair and shocking gold eyes stared hungrily at Carly from the driver's seat, more specifically her bag. The silhouette of a wolf-like creature sat patiently shotgun next to him, a growl building in the back of his throat.

"Shh, I know, boy." The man reaches over and carefully pats the animal's head, his hand staying clear from his toothy snout. "I can feel it, too. We need that cute little mouse to help us find more of those feathers! The only problem is Mirabella. As long as she's with that fru fru poodle and her albino attack dog, there's no way we can get near her without raising suspicion. And by the looks of it, she's got a nice teddy bear to cling onto. I think we can take Mr. Obedient over there, and the fox, but blonde bear is going to be quite a challenge."

The animal snarled again, and then scratched at the glove box with one paw. It was obvious that the wolf was trying to tell his master something.

"I know, T.J." The man opened the glove box and pulled out a medium sized wooden box, complete with a golden lock on it. He places the box on his lap, takes out a key, and unlocks the box. Upon opening it, he takes out several red feathers in his hand; each feather was exactly the same as the three that Carly had in her bag. "The phoenix we have hunted for since the very beginning continues to elude us, as well as cause misery to anyone who even looks at this mountain. It's either trying to get these people off so that it can have Corbenic all to itself, or it's trying to tell somebody something. Whatever the reason, that girl can find the feathers as quickly as we can, so we need to find a way to get her on our side. But, how?"

The man rests the box back into the glove compartment without closing it, and then starts his car. The taxi quietly sputters to life and backs away from the cliff. As man and beast leave together up a dim road, the man looks back at the bottom of the hill one last time. T.J. sticks his head out of the open window and starts howling at thin air.

"Shut up, T.J.!" The dog immediately stops his insidious barking and sits back, bowing his head in shame. After a few silent minutes of driving, the man suddenly chuckled out loud and started talking to no one in particular. "Tick-tock, little mouse, tick-tock. Everyone here is running out of time, whether they know it or not. You seem to be smarter than any of these backwards chickens in this coop, and you better be to face **our** predator! But don't worry. You can count me and T.J. over here to help you out any way we can, for a price. So you better follow the feathers and sniff out what the hell is going on, or we'll all pay the ultimate price…"


End file.
